Preserving your Heritage Traditional Geocache
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Second in the series, Historic Places of northern Fauquier County
Check out the website for more information!
This 40' x 24' stone meeting house was built in 1771 before the town of Salem (now Marshall) existed on land "occupied by Burr Harrison" and belonging to the Fairfax Proprietary. It served as a church until 1809 when it became Salem Academy. It continued as a school until 1909 when the new Marshall public school was opened down the road a block or so. The meeting house was converted into a private residence and then was used as a video rental store in the 1990's. Nicely restored it is now the home of the Fauquier Heritage and Preservation Foundation, a wonderful repository of the collection of the late historian John K. Gott and several others.
The land surrounding the meeting house was the site of the original town cemetery. Local writers from the 1800's noted that the school children played among the tombstones during recess. The tombstones were moved to the cemetery outside of town but most remains were not. The gravel parking area covers a portion of this original cemetery.
If you visit during open hours, please go inside to say hello and have a look around. The facility is an outstanding resource for local genealogical research and all other aspects of local Fauquier County history. The staff is knowledgable and eager to answer your questions. They also have some gifts and publications available for sale, the proceeds benefitting the FHPF.
Congratulations to udderly for his FTF of the new year!
Additional Hints
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Qhpx!